Part two of the three-part speaker trilogy!   This second group of artists speak directly to the larger design community in their breadth and approach. It can be narrative live action or cultural live mash-up. Robotics or digital flesh.  Danger Doom or Chiller. They all give exquisite life to an image. And provide us with a new set of specs to see through.

Sometimes it’s hard to find the space that speaks to you. Lucky for F5 this April that we’ve found three hotels to best personalize your experience in New York.

THE HUDSON HOTEL is the official hotel for festival speakers and attendees – and other surprises to be named later. Standard, superior, and deluxe rooms are being offered with a discount of more than 20% off for friends of the fest. For one of the trendiest boutique hotels in midtown Manhattan, this is a sweet deal.

The Hudson is pure F5: designed with the designer in mind. It’s visual breadth is only outweighed by it’s proximity to all things NYC: Central Park, Times Square, every type of eatery imaginable, subways to here-there-and-everywhere, and, most importantly, Roseland Ballroom.

BOOK YOUR ROOM AT THE HUDSON HOTEL HERE

If you’re feeling that you want to stay further downtown or, rather, closer to the pulse of Lincoln Center – we have two other options available for attendees. We’ve negotiated special rates for F5 attendees and a number of amenities are at your disposal.

THE EMPIRE HOTEL is a little bit more restrained: an old-school, modernist sensibility that takes it’s guests back through it’s own history.

Call The Empire at (212) 265-7400 to book using the F5 Group block.

THE STANDARD NEW YORK is a step in the opposite direction: nightclub dressed as hotel, or vice-versa. Your pick.

Call The Standard at (212) 645-4646 to book using the F5 Group block.

We’re pleased to announce our first set of speakers for F5 2011! Here is the first savory piece of the cake – just enough to want a bigger bite. This group speaks to the careful consideration placed on finding the artists//heroes//colleagues who fit the overall theme of Happy F5 this year.

We’re also ecstatic that Buck will be creating the fest’s awe-inspiring opening titles. Our lips are sealed, but expect their special sauce of whimsy, humor and highly produced playtime. Buck will share their process and creative vision for the project during their special speaker session.

So far, F5 has drawn exclusively from a wealth of visual artists, designers, animators, technologists, engineers, musicians, writers, and puppeteers who point to a singular direction in creativity: one that builds an artistic fabric with the shared thread of imagination and optimism.

This is only the beginning. More happiness in store. And smiles guaranteed.

Check out our speakers page for bios and more info. And make sure to lock in your tickets…

A major component of Team F5 is our valuable group of volunteers. They’re ninjas: stealthily assisting behind the scenes – hiding in shadows, only to pop up when an attendee is in trouble – mysterious and fully engaged. They’re a vital part of the lifeblood of the festival. Are you interested in training for such a role?

For Happy F5, we’re looking for volunteers to:

• assist with registration and ticket sales
• help all attendees with questions and concerns
• support our social media team throughout the daily sessions
• enjoy the festivities!

If you’d like to be a part of Team F5, please head over to our F5 Community board on Facebook and let us know. Deadline for volunteering is March 1st!

UPDATE: The turnout has been tremendous! OK, since we can’t have everybody, please write 1-2 paragraphs about why you want to be a volunteer — if you have any prior experience — and anything about yourself that you’d like us to know. And send to bernie@f5fest.com. Deadline is March 8th. We’ll be contacting everybody shortly thereafter.

Request a discount code here: register@f5fest.com

Sell at least 5 tickets with that code (10% discount on each ticket)

Get your ticket for $100.

Nice.

Got ya and it’s not even April Fool’s yet. The scale has been ‘tipped’ and we’ve sold out our early tickets.

What’s surprising is the response from other creative communities; not only have the motionographers come out in support, but there’s also been an unprecedented response from creatives in fashion, fine art, publishing… even pharmaceutical marketing. You all share the desire to break out of this harsh winter and start the spring anew. Happy.

Regular tickets are now available at the price of $480; student tickets at a reduced rate of $280. These prices will remain until the end of the festival.

Tune in next week for another announcement—this time about what’s surely on everyone’s minds…

Since we first announced F5, a little roar has grown louder. Many of you want to attend, but just can’t because of timing. It’s happening again on a Thursday and Friday. And the boss is none too happy about giving you all that time off.

Well, your wishes have been answered. Happy F5 is being moved back a day to April 15-16, 2011—Friday and Saturday. And it’ll go down at the world famous Roseland Ballroom in the heart of NYC. We’re also extending the deadline of the current early bird ticket deal to January 17th for all you newcomers.

You embody the essence of F5. It’s important that you all have an opportunity to be a part of the festivities. Our sincere apologies if this is a major inconvenience to all who have already bought tickets. We will fully refund anyone who cannot attend the new dates.

There’s been chatter about who may speak… and we’re still firming up so so many details. But, in the spirit of the new year, we’ll give you highly-complex, over-engineered clues that too shall pass.

Ready? Set? Okay—Go!

It’s so on. Happy F5 tickets are now line!

We’re summoning the powers of collective incentive, a new approach to early bird purchasing. Here’s how it works: If at least 200 of you purchase by New Year’s Eve (December 31st at 11:59pm EST) January 17th,  your ticket will only be $280. The deal will stay alive even after the 200 mark until the time is up. Smiles all around.

But if that scale isn’t “tipped” (200 sold), then the deal is off and your purchase will be refunded. Tickets will then be available at the original ticket price of $480 in January.

Two weeks ago, we opened up tickets to our 2009 attendees and they sold at a pace that far exceeded our expectations. So far, this response has been overwhelming. The creative community has been patiently waiting to take a gulp, blow out those candles and make a big wish.

The question now: How happy do you want to be?

For its second birthday, F5 is throwing a big party with all its friends. (That’s you.)

Since the initial fest in 2009, we’ve seen the reform of strategies in our industries, our landscapes, and our lives. It’s ripe time to bash that piñata and celebrate our collective artistic rebirth. April 15th and 16th, we’ll throw down again in NYC with full two days of incredible presenters, workshops, original motion work, a full bar and a killer after party. We’re lining up enough inspiration, enough surprises, and enough cake to make the event well worth it. If you were an attendee in 2009, check your inbox today for the extra special first surprise. And make sure to sign up for the F5 mailing list to get the latest news. We’d hate for anyone to miss out.

F5 is founded on the belief that true change occurs when you look outside your world and explore new horizons. The festival fosters creative collisions—unexpected insights from sources you didn’t see coming. The goal is nothing less than to change the way you think about your work and your life. Our ethos:

PROFIT: NO

Full disclosure: We don’t make any money from this. We have no sponsors and keep our ticket prices to an absolute minimum. There is no commercial involvement today or tomorrow. It’s about community and creativity. Seriously. That’s not bullshit. We mean it. We also don’t pay speaker fees and don’t allow agencies, studios or reps to sponsor the event. Purity matters. We don’t want dollar signs clouding anyone’s judgment.

ATTENDEES: YES

It’s all about the attendees: Creative spirits on fire. Cream of the crop artists, designers and storytellers looking for some way to connect with each other and with the world at large. You are the most passionate people on this earth, and as such, you embody the essence of F5.

SPEAKERS: YES

This isn’t “another design conference.” It’s a meeting of great minds—it’s about diversifying our perspective. In addition to top studios and individuals you know from Motionographer, we’ll be mixing the party up with talents from places and spaces that exist outside our comfort zones. All in the spirit of creative collisions—those moments of lasting insight and inspiration that occur when we smash into something unexpected.

PARTY: HELLS YES

Yes, there is a bar at the venue. Yes, we will be giving out plenty of free drinks. Yes, that means you’ll have to pace yourself. I mean, seriously… it’s a birthday party. Friendships will be formed. Connections will be made. Ideas will take flight. Join us.